I just got my 15-22 and am looking forward to using it. I bought it for some intertainment shooting and to use on my farm. I'm an "old" army guy (pre Desert Storm), and have been out of the loop on all these cool and neat add ons for tactical rifles. My questions:

1. I would like to use my open sites but also have a scope. Is this unusual to do or do I need to go with one or the other?

2. I am not a serious shooter, but would like a middle of the road scope for, (rabbits, squirrels, and beer cans). Any parts that I would need, like spacers, clamps etc. ? Any help would be appreciated.

3. I noticed that some of these guns dont have the flash break. Mine came with one. Is this an upgrade? Serial #DVA9

4. What is the best bulk amo to shoot.\?

I've tried to read a thousand threads at one time and getting confused on all of the above. I do own and shoot a few other weapons, but this is my first of this type. I'm looking forward to accesorizing this thing. Thanks for your help, looking forward to much reading and learning here in this forum.

1) you can use either, or co-witness the iron+optics to use at the same time.
2) dunno
3) you get versions with the A1 style compensator and threading.
4) dunno

Hi and welcome to the forum. Like you I am new to this gun (handguns only previously) but I'll tell you what I've learned so far.

1. Many on this forum have both. There are too many possible combinations to summarize here. Search the forum and you will find tons of information. And go to the sticky that gives the links to the instructional videos by people like Bret248Vista. He's a 15-22 maniac who has made a TON of great instructional videos.

2. Depends on what you decide for #1 above, but at a minimum you will need scope rings or a one piece mount. If you want to co-witness your optics with the iron sights you may need a riser.

3. You got the version with the suppressor. There are 3 basic versions of the 15-22; the basic, the basic with the suppressor, and the Magpul MOE, which also has the suppressor. I have the MOE version in Flat Dark Earth (FDE).

4. You will get as many opinions on this as there are stars in the heavens. Generally speaking the consensus is CCI is the best ammo if you want to pay for it. They came out with a .22LR "Tactical" specifically for rifles like this and that ammo has gotten very good reviews. Currently it's only available from Cabelas for $19.99 per 375 round box buts that's still cheaper than CCI Mini-Mags. Cabelas' exclusive on this ammo runs out this year so hopefully it will become more widely available and also cheaper.

Hope this helps.

Yes, CCI Minimags are excellent ammo and very reliable in 15-22s. However, they're also a bit pricy.
This is what I use in mine:


It's 36gr hollowpoint coppercoated/washed whatever they call it. Since I had Smith & Wesson fix my failure to eject issues, it's been 100% with this ammo.

$18.97 per at Wal-Mart, so 3.4 cents per shot before tax.

it's not a suppressor. maybe a flash hider.

Sorry, you're right. Wasn't really thinking when I wrote that.

haha i wish i had gotten the version with stock suppressor

anyways I just got back from a gun show and got to fondle some of the different scopes I was comparing before I bought my Leapers 4x. For the pric range I have to say it is the best, even better then NCStar ( i know hard to believe lol) and burris scopes for twice the price.

If your main intent is squirrles and beer cans take a look at the Leapers bug buster line. As for mounting it there is thousands of options but what you need to know is the size of the tube (usually 1nch or 30mm) and the size of the objective lens, the bigger it is the taller the scope rings you will need.

As for ammo, again if your intent is beer cans stick with the federal value pack, these guns eat it like candy, it shoots pretty clean and straight and is half the price or less of 'quality' ammo. If your going to go out for some varmiting you could spend a little more on mini mags or even stingers but in my experience the federal VP kills em just as dead.

Thanks very much to all of you. I am itching to get it set up and will be researching on this forum to do so. Thanks again.

Get a carry Handle
Amazon.com: UTG AR-15 Carry handle: Sports & Outdoors
And this scope is not bad for the price. If you buy it at Amazon, and you have a problem, return it....
Amazon.com: NcSTAR® 4x32 mm Mark III Illuminated Reticle Tactical AR15 Scope Carry Handle - mounted: Sports & Outdoors
This will allow you to use your Iron sights or the scope....This is just an example. I have something similar and it works great. For a Plinker....

+1 on the Federal 550's. My boys and I ran through 2 boxes today at the range. No FTF or FTE. It was my 1522's first outing. very happy with it.

I had to get a riser mount for my 4x28 barska scope. it was to low without it.

Thanks guys for all the information! I am expecting my MP 15-22 A1 sku 811033 sometime early this coming week. I have shot many thousands of .22 lr in my life but have never owned a semi auto rifle other than my AR15. I think I have all I need other than a set of see through rings.

After having successfully digested over 1,000 rounds of Federal 550 bulk fodder with nary a hiccup, mine choked repeatedly today on Winchester 333's. For what I purchased my 15-22 to do (have fun!!), I'll stick with Fed. bulk from now on!

heh, 333's are what i call the most hated 22 ammo.

in fact I think if your gun shoots them well there might be something wrong.

I disagree, Remington "golden bullet" is pretty garbage ammo

I don't think a compensator is a suppressor or a flash hider. More of a "gas re-director." It's all moot, of course, because it's purely cosmetic on this weapon.

+1. Most Remington ammo is so dirty, I either "re-gift" it, or use it in a revolver if no one will take it. Dirty, grungy, gummy, blech.

__________________
This...is my BOOMSTICK

Flash hider or flash supressor.... whatever.

Besides... S&W thinks they sell an "A1 Compensator" on the front of a 15-22.

Isn't that what you put on cheap steak?

The Federals are just the ammo for fun plinking. I have had one FTF and I'm sure it was the way the mag was loaded. I have ran at least 1800 rounds of this through it. It does not like Remington ammo though. Something in the line of sights, I use a carry handle from UTG, 33 bucks and mount a scope on top of that. The UTG carry handle mentioned above is worth the dollars, it is very well built.

__________________
Endeavor to persevere. <><

i've personally never had a problem with the WIN 333's or 555's my rifle has somewhere around 25K rounds through it. never had a hiccup

Great purchase on your new toy! I have to chime in on the ammo aspect..(local CCI whore signing in). Once sighted in, try Fed's against CCI's. CCI's are more spendy, but I've yet to see anything cheaper shoot more accurately...however, if you're just blowin stuff away, whatever floats your boat, I mean cycles your action should work, haha. Just don't expect it to be what it isn't, which is standard 22lr bulk. For my money, CCI is the best; 1.5 cents or so a round extra is nuttin when I'm used to payin for 5.56mm, 9mm, 38 specials, etc. Get lots of both and shoot it all is the best way to see what you like better.....and clean that bad boy before firing it....there's anti-corrosives in there from the factory that is thick and icky.

S&W can call it what they want, but it's a copy of the M16A1 flash suppressor, not the M16A2 compensator. My barrel was unthreaded from the factory. I had it threaded and installed a genuine, old stock M16A1 flash suppressor. The factory threading is M16-standard so any will work.



All .22LR self loading weapons are a bit ammo sensitive and what works for one may not work for all. Winchester Super-X high velocity in the 333 pack work very well in mine.



-- Chuck

Right. And that's what makes terminology so difficult for newcomers.... When even the rifle manufacturers don't properly describe what they are selling.

How would one go about mounting a scope on a carry handle? I have a BSA Sweet .22 scope with high rings but want to also use the iron sights.

buy a quality scope with good rings, and use that as the carry handle if you really need one. otherwise it looks absolutely dur-dadurrr.

If you like red dots try Primary Arms. I got one from them for about $70 with mounts for co-witness. Seems pretty cost effective for my 15-22.

Just curious..did you clean it any time during the 1100 rounds?

Carry handle mount. Most all carry handle mounts are "see thru" to allow the shooter to use iron sights. I'm not sure how large the bell is on your scope so that may dictate the ring height but you should be able to get by with low scope rings. You'll want to keep the scope rings as low as possible because the scope will be higher sitting atop the carry handle. The pic is a Tapco composite carry handle mount.


MidwayUSA - Advanced Search

Attached Images

DSC04217.jpg (98.4 KB, 24 views)

I think what Boddah4 is looking for is dual use of a magnified optic along with iron sights... not to have dual use of magnified optic as a carry handle.

You're correct Phil, I want to have a scope in addition to a carry handle.

It will look something like this... bad


and i don't know how you plan on getting a good cheek weld when using the scope. to each their own.

About the ammo....

I've had the time to run different ammo through my rifle and although the Fed bulk works well, other stuff works much better(CCI).

I've noticed in this thread is comments about functionality but not about accuracy. To me, it's all good and fun to burn rapid fire and i enjoy it myself.But I also enjoy punching holes with precision. My lil' friend can cut out a less than a quarter size hole, at 50', 10 rounds, in less time than I would believe.

My observation is shoot what you have fun with and don't expect luxury performance from an inexpensive ammo.

I don't always shoot cheap, but when I do.....be thirsty my friends.

It is either sad or amusing that in the mid '60's Remington and Winchester were tops in pedestrian ammo and about the cheapest ammo i could find was Federal. We burned a lot of ammo through our rifles and would experience at lease two misfired in ever box of fifty. I was shooting a repeater so all I would just turn the cartridge 180 degrees and try again. We also had frequent light charge reports and bulleted stuck in barrels. Within ten years they were the premium brand along with CCI.

I remember the DI's telling us that that was not a carrying handle and would put you down for 20 if they caught you using it for that purpose or calling it a "carrying handle". To this day I carry my AR15 at the balance at the slipring in front of the receiver though the nomenclature calls it a carrying handle in the field manual, (FM22-5?).
I wonder how many others had that drummed into their head.

so what was its' function? or did they never explain that.

They never said... frankly, they never had to. I don't recall anyone questioning the DI's without receiving swift and punishing correction.
You have to admit that it is a bit off balanced when carrying a standard M16 by the carrying handle. The balance is just forward of the receiver.